To say that New in Town is the worst movie of this fledgling year is to damn it with faint praise. It may be one of the worst movies of any year. Not content to be merely inane and predictable, it is downright insulting, humorlessly deriding those who choose to live in rural America, labor in factories or have a strong Christian faith.

Parents need to know that this clichéd romantic comedy has some charm but relies heavily on broad stereotypes -- the driven career woman who melts for the right guy, gee-whiz Midwesterners with Fargo accents, etc. -- for its humor. And its message is an unsurprising one about learning to appreciate more of life. Expect some relatively mild swearing (including "s--t"), a few scenes with drinking (including one in which the main character gets drunk), and some kissing and sexual innuendo (mentions of a woman's nipples and thong, for example), but no nudity or violence.

Families can talk about whether it's OK to play stereotypes -- whether of people or locations -- for laughs. How does the movie portray women and people from small-town Minnesota? Is it accurate or exaggerated? Can you think of movies with stronger positive female role models? Families can also discuss why so many Hollywood romantic comedies are about opposites attracting. Do you think relationships like that are as frequent (and as successful) in real life?

The good stuff

Messages: The film means well, but it relies heavily on broad stereotypes -- especially those of career women and small-town people in Minnesota. A woman appears to be cold-hearted and judgmental at first but changes over the course of the movie. Characters lie by omission but later feel bad and try to make amends.

What to watch for

Violence: A man is accidentally shot, but it's played for laughs. Some yelling.

Sex: Some kissing; references to a woman's nipples and thong.

Language: Relatively mild swearing, including "damn," "a--hole," "ass," "oh my God," "hell," "son of a bitch," and a few uses of "s--t."

Consumerism: Closeups on products like high-heeled shoes and handbags (the Chanel logo is visible on one). Signage for various tbusinesses, etc., including UPS and Munck Foods.

Drinking, drugs and smoking: Some beer drinking at a bar; a woman gets drunk on wine when her car gets stuck in a snow bank.

Movies.com, the ultimate source for everything movies, is your destination for new movie trailers, reviews, photos, times, tickets + more! Stay in the know with the latest movie news and cast interviews at Movies.com.